Staincliffe Liberal Club

Former Club building 2008

The first record found for Staincliffe Liberal Club is of a meeting held in the Baptist Meeting Room, Staincliffe in support of Mark Oldroyd as nominee of the Liberal Party.

Baptist Church Staincliffe. From Kirklees Image Archive (K000256). 

The chairman was T. Tattersfield. There was an “enthusiastic” audience of several hundred and many people could not gain admission to the meeting. Mark Oldroyd stated his opinion on women’s suffrage saying that

 

“while he would not oppose it, he would not actively advocate it.”  

He believed that there was a

 

“sufficiently large sphere for women to fill as it was, without her interference in politics!”  Bradford Daily Telegraph 9 November 1888.  

Mark Oldroyd  and Maria Mewburn courtesy of Sandy Barker

 

Mark Oldroyd became Liberal MP for the area and spoke many times at Staincliffe Liberal Club. His wife, Maria Mewburn laid the foundation stone for the new club building in 1893.

Foundation stone of club taken 2018

The stone can still be seen to the left of the main door, low in the wall.  The building holds prime position and is quite imposing with ornate decoration around the door and window lintels. 

John Tomlinson Brunner, MP for Northwich

The club was opened in 1894 by John Tomlinson Brunner, Industrialist & Liberal MP for Northwich.

Liberal Club shown on far right. From Kirklees Image Archive (K000258)

Leeds Mercury

The new building for the club must have been quite costly and in 1902 a three day bazaar was planned to be held in the Baptist School Room in Staincliffe. The bazaar was held with the intention of ridding Staincliffe (Batley) Liberal Club of debt. The debt of £600 was the remaining sum from the club building and it was hoped that the proceeds from the bazaar would “liquidate” this. Alderman J Auty was President of the club, Walter Runciman, Liberal MP for the area and his wife together with the Mayor of Batley, John William Turner and Alderman F Rhodes attended the first day with Walter Runciman opening the event. Mr Runciman was another regular speaker at club meetings.

Walter Runciman, MP

The proceeds of the first day came to £152. The sale continued on the next day and was re-opened by Mr C B Crawshaw, who spoke of the need to open central Liberal Clubs in Dewsbury and Batley. He did stress that he thought these clubs once they were formed should be

“conducted under temperance lines” so that “the young men should keep their heads clear”.  

He also said that there the

“principles of Liberalism needed to be instilled into the minds of the rising generation.”    

After two days the sale had made a profit of £240 and was re-opened on the third day by William Wilson, the prospective Liberal candidate for Pontefract. Leeds Mercury 16, 17 & 18 April 1902

The club had a few dramas in its time when members met their death on club premises although through no fault of the club. In April 1903 ex-Alderman Colbeck died suddenly whilst at the club. He was 70 years old and had just finished a game of billiards and was talking to a friend when he collapsed and died. He had been an active member of the club with a keen interest in Liberal politics and had served on the town council and was a member of the Dewsbury Board of Guardians. An inquest declared that he had died from heart disease. Leeds Mercury 15 April 1903.

Another tragedy occurred in 1926 on the eve of Bonfire night celebrations at the club. The club’s steward, Eli Irwin Stocks was sawing a branch off a tree to burn on the bonfire. When the branch fell it knocked the steps over that he was standing on and threw him onto nearby railings which killed him. The verdict of the coroner was “accidental death”. Leeds Mercury 20 November 1926

Although billiards seem to have been the “sport” of the times there is evidence that the club were involved in other sports competitions. In 1923 the club applied to the Yorkshire Chess Association to compete in the forthcoming season. They were to compete for the “Minor Trophy” which would be played in two sections with a deciding match between the two winners to be played on neutral ground. Yorkshire Post 2 October 1923

Former club premises 2018

Although the club seems to have continued into the later part of the twentieth century it is now the premises of a home improvements centre and shop. The large shop sign on the front of the building possibly hides the original club title. It is unknown when it ceased to be Staincliffe Liberal Club. The club billiard table was put up for sale in 1941 and application for purchase were directed to Town Clerk at Batley Town Hall. Yorkshire Post 30 August 1941. In 1950 the club was subject to a Community Feeding Purchase and alteration by the council and put up for tenancy. WYAS Kirklees ref KMT1/Box42/TB86